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A project of Common Dreams

For Immediate Release
Contact:

Darcey Rakestraw, 202-683-2467; drakestraw (at) fwwatch.org

Egg Recall Latest Example of Consolidation Putting Consumers at Risk

Statement by Patty Lovera, Assistant Director, Food & Water Watch

WASHINGTON

"This egg recall is not a fluke. It's just the latest example of how
the consolidation of food production puts consumers at risk. This
particular recall is about one production facility responsible for at
least 380 million eggs under 17 different labels, but large egg
facilities like this are commonplace. Ninety-five percent of all eggs
come from facilities with 75,000 birds or more. Five states produce half
of the nation's eggs--Iowa, Ohio, Indiana, Pennsylvania and California.
If something goes wrong in one of these areas, it has a negative impact
on the entire country.

"The fact that this recall takes place one month after long-awaited
regulation by the FDA for salmonella prevention in large egg facilities
kicked in proves that there's still a lot of work to be done in
protecting citizens from food-borne illnesses. While we need the FDA to
provide adequate inspections and enforcement, it's even more important
to recognize that the best way to prevent outbreaks of this magnitude is
to encourage smaller and regionally dispersed production. There's no
reason chickens can't thrive in all 50 states."

Food & Water Watch mobilizes regular people to build political power to move bold and uncompromised solutions to the most pressing food, water, and climate problems of our time. We work to protect people's health, communities, and democracy from the growing destructive power of the most powerful economic interests.

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